Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
1K
“It’s Just A Hobby”: Family Hijack Woman’s Comic Con Table To Promote Her 8-Year-Old Niece
Interview With Expert
Our social circle greatly influences our worldview. So those who do not know any police officers, archeologists, or singers might inadvertently mysticize their jobs.
An artist is one of those professions that many fail to understand and, therefore, show the respect that it deserves. This woman, for example, has to endure her family members calling her work a hobby.
In a candid Reddit post, she said that the situation had gotten so bad that they even used her status to promote her 8-year-old niece, refusing to acknowledge that it had damaged her livelihood.
RELATED:
This artist allowed her 8-year-old niece to have some space on her comic con table
Image credits: Michael Burrows / Pexels (not the actual photo)
But the girl’s parents thought it was not enough and demanded more
Image credits: Julia M Cameron / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Liza Summer / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Timur Weber / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: aita37465437165
Image credits: Jadson Thomas / Pexels (not the actual photo)
This woman’s family missed so many signs that she’s a professional, it’s as if they didn’t want to admit it
Sometimes, the line between enthusiasts and pros can be blurry. So we got in touch with Matt Tommey, who has been portraying nature through sculptural works of art for three decades, to get a better understanding of how to distinguish them.
According to him, a good place to start is taking a closer look at a person’s approach to their craft. “Typically, professionals have developed a recognizable style that is unique to them and desirable to potential clients in the marketplace,” Tommey told Bored Panda. “They have a confident pricing model that allows them to make money on every sale, regardless of whether they sell directly to clients or through partners.”
“They have also created a marketing strategy for selling their work that fits their personality, lifestyle, artistic, and income goals. However, one of the most significant factors for artists who can transition from hobbyist to professional is regular studio time,” he highlighted. “Hobbyists tend to be what I call “ENT Artists” — those who only create every now and then.”
Professionals, on the other hand, make it a habit. They “create daily, recognizing that their regular studio time is an accelerator for both their income and inspiration.”
“Lastly, professional artists treat their art like a business rather than a whimsical passion,” Tommey added. “I always tell my students, ‘You can’t have business dreams with hobby habits.’ In other words, your dreams must be supported by daily habits of creating, marketing, and selling your work. With a clear vision, great work, and commitment to pursuing their art daily, hobbyists can absolutely make the transition to becoming professionals.”
Judging from the post, the artist’s family must’ve seen the obvious signs that she’s already an established name in the industry who does this for a living. But maybe, for some reason, they didn’t want to.
Tommey believes that the reason why many of us see art as a hobby rather than a profession can be very nuanced. “Most people have a history of some artistic expression as children but, unfortunately, had no context for being able to take that further in their life as a potential career. Consequently, our Western culture often teaches people to value other types of work that seem more able to provide a steady income and downplay careers in the arts,” he said.
This suggests that society doesn’t always value artists as much as they deserve. “The typical ‘starving artist’ stereotype and the perception that artists are lazy, unmotivated, and self-absorbed has historically led to artists being undervalued in society.”
However, in his opinion, this mindset is gradually changing. “With the rise of the gig economy and solopreneurship, creative people are seeing others who are making a great living from selling their art, giving them context for what might be possible in their own lives. They are learning the power of entrepreneurship to create a life that is both fulfilling and profitable, allowing them to create not only art but also an artistic life that enables them to make a living and make an impact in the world.”
Tommey has observed that as people see artists thriving personally, creatively, and financially, that perception shifts to one that values artists as contributing members of society. “They contribute far beyond what they contribute to the economy,” he noted. “Artists offer a varied and beautiful lens through which to see the world. Their perspectives challenge the status quo and invite others to interpret life differently. Through their work, artists offer an invitation to a world that is full of possibility, beauty, truth, and wonder and that is valuable on its own.”
Hopefully, the woman’s family will realize that soon.
As her story went viral, the woman joined the discussion in its comments
What do you think ?
StumblingThroughLife 7 months ago (edited)
It's difficult out in the real world with plenty of AHs, but there is nothing worse than 'family' AHs because it hits you a lot harder than it would strangers. I hate people like this - so entitled and derogatory. I can understand her position and the guilt her so-called relatives forced on her. In the 70s, my mum refused to let my brother go to Art College when he'd completed secondary school, saying it was a wasted career. He was (and still is) a fantastic artist - he mainly focussed on comic-book art. He seemed to lose the will to do anything for quite a while until my dad had a long convo with him & got him to look for a job. He ended up being a Toolsetter (which he hated) and now he's (still, at 64) driving Artic(ulated) Lorries, and hasn't botherred with his art since. 😢 I know I post a lot of things I've experienced or have witnessed, but it's only because I'm an old fart with lots of stories to tell. Please excuse my verbiage. x
Susie Elle 7 months ago
Parents are leeching off of OP's success, the niece is eight years old for crying out loud.
Laura Williams 7 months ago
Niece definitely doesn't need the stress at 8. She hasn't even finished grade school.
Load More Replies...
Royal Stray 7 months ago
NTA, I hate people like this who don't think "nerdy hobbies" are real jobs. Artists like OP work really hard to sell and make all of their stuff, and if it's her only income then of course she can't babysit or show off her nieces fanarts. It's cute that she looks up to OP, but this isn't healthy since the parents clearly think that their kid is on the same level as OP. Of course she can't have a table at a convention, she's 8. It's good that she's starting early but she isn't an artist. It can be hard enough for single artists to even get a table at places like this, of course she can't have a kid hanging around. Besides depending on what OP does or how big she is having a kid sell stuff there could even throw people off from wanting to buy from her since it doesn't look as serious or professional as some other tables. Op needs to set firm boundaries and perhaps explain a bit of how her work world looks like.
StumblingThroughLife 7 months ago (edited)
100% agree. The amount of posts around where paper/canvas/graphic artists & Photographers have entitled DHs who demand stuff for free, and get really offensive when told the prices - and say, as you mentioned, that it isn't a real job. I honestly wouldn't give them airtime if I was the woman in the post. That child is in for a massive emotional fall if they keep doing what they are, and she get sucked in.
Load More Replies... StumblingThroughLife 7 months ago (edited)
It's difficult out in the real world with plenty of AHs, but there is nothing worse than 'family' AHs because it hits you a lot harder than it would strangers. I hate people like this - so entitled and derogatory. I can understand her position and the guilt her so-called relatives forced on her. In the 70s, my mum refused to let my brother go to Art College when he'd completed secondary school, saying it was a wasted career. He was (and still is) a fantastic artist - he mainly focussed on comic-book art. He seemed to lose the will to do anything for quite a while until my dad had a long convo with him & got him to look for a job. He ended up being a Toolsetter (which he hated) and now he's (still, at 64) driving Artic(ulated) Lorries, and hasn't botherred with his art since. 😢 I know I post a lot of things I've experienced or have witnessed, but it's only because I'm an old fart with lots of stories to tell. Please excuse my verbiage. x
Susie Elle 7 months ago
Parents are leeching off of OP's success, the niece is eight years old for crying out loud.
Laura Williams 7 months ago
Niece definitely doesn't need the stress at 8. She hasn't even finished grade school.
Load More Replies... Royal Stray 7 months ago
NTA, I hate people like this who don't think "nerdy hobbies" are real jobs. Artists like OP work really hard to sell and make all of their stuff, and if it's her only income then of course she can't babysit or show off her nieces fanarts. It's cute that she looks up to OP, but this isn't healthy since the parents clearly think that their kid is on the same level as OP. Of course she can't have a table at a convention, she's 8. It's good that she's starting early but she isn't an artist. It can be hard enough for single artists to even get a table at places like this, of course she can't have a kid hanging around. Besides depending on what OP does or how big she is having a kid sell stuff there could even throw people off from wanting to buy from her since it doesn't look as serious or professional as some other tables. Op needs to set firm boundaries and perhaps explain a bit of how her work world looks like.
StumblingThroughLife 7 months ago (edited)
100% agree. The amount of posts around where paper/canvas/graphic artists & Photographers have entitled DHs who demand stuff for free, and get really offensive when told the prices - and say, as you mentioned, that it isn't a real job. I honestly wouldn't give them airtime if I was the woman in the post. That child is in for a massive emotional fall if they keep doing what they are, and she get sucked in.
Load More Replies... You May Like Woman Is Upset Stepdaughter Runs Away From The $10K Party With 100 Guests She Threw Her Sister’s Meltdown Leaves Woman Questioning: “AITA For Giving My Niece ‘Dog Food’?” 40 Shocking Comments That Completely Changed How People Viewed Their Partners
Mindaugas Balčiauskas
Ilona Baliūnaitė
Viktorija Ošikaitė
Related on Bored Panda
84
59